The Hindu : Indian leadership should speak in one voice: Pak.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2003

International

International

Indian leadership should speak in one voice: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 9. Pakistan today complained about the slow pace of the peace process and openly expressed its worry over what it called reports of `internal dissension' within the Vajpayee Government on the approach towards resumption of dialogue.

The newly-appointed Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, surprised journalists with his candid comments on the peace moves. The High Commissioner-designate to India and the outgoing spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, who sat through the press conference, did not intervene. The general view among the scribes was that the new spokesman could not have spoken on such a sensitive issue without the blessings of the higher authorities.

He was answering specific questions on the pace of the peace process and whether Islamabad was satisfied with it. Mr. Khan's argument was that not only Pakistan has not seen the kind the progress it would have liked in the normalisation process but also it has reasons to be concerned with the `conflicting' statements of Indian leaders.

``The Pakistani leadership has been very constructive, forward-looking and positive in their approach towards resumption of dialogue. Unfortunately we haven't seen the same sort of tone from the Indian leadership. The Indian leadership should get its act together and speak in one voice. We hear about internal dissension about the normalisation of relations with Pakistan and that is worrying,'' he said.

``We should not try to put conditions before the talks begin.'' Without referring to any specific statement, Mr. Khan said, ``they do not seem to be helping this peace process.''

He hoped that India would help Pakistan keep the momentum of the engagements, which was at in the ``embryonic'' stage. ``We hope that the engagements between Pakistan and India would be more intense, purpose-oriented and in a time-frame.''

Replying to a question, Mr. Khan said Pakistan had been calling for a nuclear weapon-free South Asia but things changed after the nuclear tests by India in 1998. ``In the realm of nuclear and missile capabilities, there is a parity of sorts, but there is a conventional (weapons) imbalance.'' He called for a balance between the two countries for the sake of lasting peace in South Asia.

India surprised

NEW DELHI JUNE 9. India today expressed surprise over Pakistan's statement that it was disappointed with the pace of engagement between the two countries and regretted that Islamabad had still not responded to New Delhi's query with regard to resumption of air links.

"We are surprised at the comments," an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said, reacting to the remarks made by the new spokesman of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry. The spokesman said the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, had announced specifically the appointment of the new Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad and full restoration of civil aviation links. He had also referred to the importance of economic cooperation, including in the context of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. — UNI

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